Film as transformative play in the art of Tracey Moffatt

Abstract

This paper explores Gadamer's concept of transformative play in the context film. It relates Gadamer's discussion of the work of art as play to Gregory Bateson's idea of play as experimental, communicative behaviour and to Victor Turner's concept of liminality and film as a liminoid phenomenon. These ideas are used to analyse Tracey Moffatt's film beDevil (1993). With this film, Moffat challenges racial stereotypes in Australian society. She presents a narrative that consists of three 'ghost stories' which belong to Aboriginal and Anglo/Celtic relatives. These stories are told via a playful bending and blending of generic conventions which provides a meta-narrative of how indigenous and non-indigenous Australians understand and live with each other. The way in which Moffatt combines her photographic with her filmic practice is also discussed.